Things Aren't What They Used to Be
by MochaFrappuccino
Summary: Kara is fed up with her life. All the things that once made her happy are blowing up before her and everything is falling apart. So, she does what any teenager in denial does, runs away, and finds out the enormous secret the world has been hiding from her


**_DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT INTEND TO BE OR EVER BECOME J.K. ROWLING UNLESS WE BOTH READ A FORTUNE COOKIE THAT MAKES US SWITCH BODIES, BUT OTHER THAN THAT CIRCUMSTANCE, ALL CHARACTERS, OBJECTS, ETC. BELONG TO THE LADY OF THE HOUR, MS. J.K. ROWLING. :-)_**

INTRODUCTION

I look down at my wrist, seeing the blood pouring out of my arm… a familiar picture I had seen before. My eyes were swelling up with tears as I wash off the razor blade and put it back in my drawer, my hands shaking. I walk across my floor and sit on my bed, gazing outside, and then start to cry. The pain inside me was too great for one person to handle…

I had lived only five years of my life when I found out that my parents were getting a divorce. Five was the age when my younger brother, John and I, were forced to live with my mother, the same age when my mom got remarried, and the same age were all of the problems started in my life. Problems, that began with, and continued on, unfortunately, with abuse.

As I grew older I began to realize how wrong the situation actually was, and eventually told my dad and new step-mom everything, who both supported me greatly. They tried to get both my brother and I out of there, but John was too young in the eyes of the law, and he was forced to stay with my mother until he turned 13. My dad wouldn't settle for it, and had been trying for the past 3 years to get him out of there, going to court case after court case. But, my mother was fighting everything, lying, and not letting my brother talk at all.

To make matters worse, my mother to this day calls and harasses me on the phone, begging me to come back and live with her, and still abuses my brother. I cry every night when John calls me in tears, saying he has been hit _again_ for getting a C on a test, or for mouthing off. And, the worst part is, that my dad and step mom have been fighting for so long over stressful court stuff, the cost of the lawyers, my mom, brother, me, and the whole situation; they are leaning towards a divorce…

This is how it's been for three years…_three years_. Fighting…just plain fighting for three years. No peace, no relaxing, but fighting, and tears, and a feeling of loneliness. And now, I can't take it anymore…I am going to leave this place… and I am never coming back.

That was me two years ago. Oh, I ran away alright, hoping to find freedom, solitude, and overall happiness. What I didn't expect to find was a home, a family, and more friends than I ever could imagine. The only thing was, I didn't expect to find them in the place I did, in an unknown world…a magical world. A world of excitement, mystery, adventure, and love. A world you've read in books and seen in movies, but never in your wildest dreams was thought real.

Does the name Harry Potter sound familiar? I thought so….You've read his story and seen his movies, knowing everything there is to know, even becoming obsessed, but still knowing that it was all fake. You have watched your little brother or sister "pretend" to be him, almost wishing to join in yourself, but knew it was all just childish games. In reality, though, they aren't childish at all…they are **_real_**.

My name is Kara Whieldon, and this is my story.

CHAPTER 1

I peered at my clock; _1:45_ am. Yet I _still_ heard the yelling from my parents below. I sat in my bed holding a cloth on my arm to stop the bleeding and got up. I pushed my door open slightly, just enough to barely see two figures standing below me through the banister in the kitchen.

"She's ruining our marriage Scott! And who knows what the hell she is doing to John over there right now!" My stepmother screamed as tears streamed down her face.

"Honey, I know, but we just need to work through this." My dad responded desperately.

"No, this is not getting any better! You aren't seeing it! We have been fighting over this stuff ever since it started, and we're _not_ getting through any of it!" She was now almost ready to start crying uncontrollably. "This is not going to work." She paused and her lip quivered. "I…I think I want a divorce."

"We've come too far to quit like this! Think of John and Kara, we are the only thing holding them together! The kids will have to go back to their moms! Could you imagine what would happen to them if we got a divorce?"

"Well, I guess we are going to find out." She started walking while she started crying hysterically.

"You're just walking away from your children and this marriage!" My dad yelled after her.

"Don't talk to me!" She maliciously screamed back, walking up the steps as I quickly but quietly shut my door so she wouldn't see me.

I then heard something fall from the banister to the floor below me. "You can sleep on the couch!" I heard my step mom yell.

"Just what I was thinking!" I heard my dad shouted out of anger back. The rustling of sheets indicated that he spread out the blankets and tried to fall asleep on the couch.

Finally at about 2:30 am my home became eerily quiet, and I knew that it was safe to sneak out. I had already packed my bag earlier, intending to leave sooner, but I did not hear my father stop tossing and turning until late this hour. Slipping on my shoes, putting my pea coat on, and placing my bag around my shoulder, I slowly tiptoed past my father, who was sound asleep, out the door.

The second I walked outside, the cold air nipped my face and I put my hat over my long brown hair and gloves on my hands, buttoning up my tan coat and stepping down from the three steps we had on our stoop. I looked to the right of me and saw the city, thanking god for once I lived in New York where I can get anything I want even at 2 in the morning, hoping for at least a hotel. I started walking down the sidewalk, where I got many glances from strangers, all giving me the same expression I could easily interpret: _why is a 16 year old girl out at 2 in the morning on a week night?_ I just ignored their stares and kept on walking, heading for my destination of a small, and cheap, hotel a few blocks ahead of me.

"Hey baby." I suddenly stopped at looked in front me, seeing a man, judging by his appearance he looked about 25. He had a black winter coat on and a black hat, he had very tan skin and dark features.

"Excuse me?" I said blankly back.

"You are hot girl…why don't you come with me?" Realizing what this man was saying, I tried to walk around him to leave, but he stopped me. "Come on baby, I have some friends that would love to meet you."

"Umm, no, excuse me." I said trying to walk away from him but then he grabbed my arm. "What are you doing? Let go!" I exclaimed as I tried to pull away.

"I want you to meet my friends…" He said pulling my arm harder as I tried to escape.

"No! Stop! Help-" the man had now covered my mouth and struggled to pull me into a dark alleyway. At that moment saw about 5 other men appearing slowly as I got closer and I became very nervous.

I tried to pull at least one hand free to get the man's hand off my mouth to yell for help, but it was no use, he held me tightly in his arms and pushed me closer to his friends. The man suddenly pulled a knife out of his coat pocket and I quickly realized the danger I was in. This sudden jolt of fear got one of my arms lose and pulled his hand off my mouth. For a brief moment I screamed as loud as I could, hoping for someone to hear me.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" I heard a voice coming from behind me. The mystery person approached up at the back of me and punched the man who had such a tight grip on my body, knocking him to the snowy and wet ground. The man sat on the pavement, feeling his mouth, which was clearly bleeding, and looked up at the person who just punched him. His knife had dropped to the concrete as well and he quickly tried to grab it, but the other stranger was too quick and got it before him. He held the knife up, threatening the man on the ground. Looking embarrassed and very angry, the man sitting stood up and said to his gang, "Come on let's go." They turned around and walked away.

As I watched them leave the scene, I could feel my heart beating rapidly. "Are you ok?" I looked at the stranger and nodded.

"Yea, thank you so much, I thought I was going to be raped, or killed, or…" I paused. "You know…"

"Yeah, New York City is a touchy place in the middle of the night, especially for young ladies such as yourself."

"Yeah," I paused, "thanks again, but I have to go…" I started walking but was interrupted.

"So what _is_ someone like you doing out here at 2 in the morning?" I turned around kind of irritated, but answered his question.

"Um…well I kind of ran away from home…but you know, need to get to my hotel to figure out where I am going tomorrow." I began strolling out of the alley way when once again, the strange guy began talking again.

"Sounds a bit like me, been on my own for a long time, 's been like this my whole life." He stopped and I nodded. "How about I walk you to your hotel, you know, just so you get there safe?"

I was getting kind of annoyed by this person, and was about to reject him when I suddenly saw a middle aged man walk by the alley and stop in front of us, and said, "Oh, damn girl!"

"Hey, move on!" The stranger next to me yelled.

"I'm not going to be told what to do by some punk kid like-" He held up the knife he had just taken from the man before and the man stopped. "Ok, ok, I'll get a move on." He started walking away.

"Uh…thanks…again…" I uttered to him.

"Yeah…" He stopped. "So, can I walk you to your hotel?"

I didn't reply right away and shifted my head partially to the right, not totally trusting the guy, even though he did just save my life. "Well…"

"Look, I won't even walk into the hotel; just want to make sure you get there safe."

I seriously considered the idea for a moment, but suddenly changed my mind and spoke. "I know you just saved my life and all, but I don't know you, and you don't know me, and I don't mean to be rude, but frankly, I don't trust you."

The guy laughed slightly in response. "Ok, ok, I can respect that." he paused and appeared like he was thinking. "How about this, take this knife." He handed the knife out to me. "And, if I make a move on you, feel free to attack." He was still gripping the knife in his hands when I started to laugh.

"Are you joking?" I asked.

"No, it's to show you that I am trustworthy."

I still hesitated, but this oddly fascinating proposal strangely made me feel better.

"Ok." I replied. "But give me that knife." I said taking it from him as we both laughed. We walked out of the dark alley and I finally got a good view at the person in the city lights. He was fairly tall with somewhat long dirty blond hair and blue eyes. He was wearing jeans and a brown coat.

"I'm David by the way." He said as we walked.

"Kara." I replied smiling back.

"So, where exactly are we going?"

"Just this cheap hotel up on Freesia St."

"Ok." There was an awkward silence as we continued walking.

"So…where are you from?" I asked David.

"Well…ran away from home, if that's what you even call it, about a year ago. That was when I lived in Colorado."

"Why did you run away?" I asked as we were passing a small drugstore.

"Well, my parents died when I was about one, and I have been an orphan for like, well forever. I was dragged to so many foster homes and never found a permanent one, so it just became too hard and I ran away."

"How did you get all the way from Colorado to here?"

"I've been walking, hitchhiking, taking cheap buses, that sort of thing."

"Where are you headed to?"

"Well, I had been planning for some time to go to London this week for something important, but it turns out I don't have the money, so that dream is basically gone to the shit."

"I'm sorry…probably the hotel costs that burn the hole in your pocket?"

"Actually, well you might think this is kind of gross, but I've been staying in this abandoned house. There is absolutely no one in the building so I picked it up a bit and have been staying in there. It's not the best thing ever, but I will have a better home if I leave from this city."

"You have seemed to figure everything out, haven't you?"

"Well, I know what I want to do with my life."

"And what exactly is that?" He didn't reply and sort of looked away. "Oh its ok, you don't have to tell me, just curious."

"Well, what about you, do you know what you want to do with your life?"

"Uhhh…No, not exactly, just plan on staying with some friends then when I get the money, I'll take off to California and try to get on the girls soccer team there."

"Well, you do seem to know what you want to do."

"I don't know…I just really want to play soccer professionally, but its really hard to get in."

"You should go for it, I'm sure you are a great soccer player." I smiled as we continued walking on the cold sidewalk. "Looks like we're here, this is Freesia St. isn't it?"

"Oh, yeah…" I observed where we were. "We're here already?" I looked up at the small hotel, and saw almost all the lights were out except an exceptional few, and the ones in the main lobby. I didn't realize how fast the time had gone. "Well…uh….um…thanks David…for, uh walking me to the hotel."

"You're welcome." He said smiling back as we both didn't move. Just at that time, a man walked by us and examined my body up and down, saying "Hey, sweet thing."

"Hey, shut up!" David said to him and he backed off. "God, what is it with people in this city?"

"Yeah…I know…" I said nervously.

"Listen, I know you have your whole plan and what not, and you probably don't trust me since you just met me, actually, I know you don't trust me, but just in case you ever need anything, I'll give you my cell phone number." He said getting a pen and ripping off a piece of something in his pocket to write on.

"Thanks." I said, as I accepted his number and started walking towards the hotel, but then David started walking also. We ran into each other, both switched directions, and bumped into each other again. Finally, David, stopped, and allowed me to walk, I smiled and laughed slightly as I waved goodbye. He smiled as well and I watched him walk off into the heart of the city.

I entered the hotel and saw no one in the exceptionally small lobby, but the fire was still going.

"Can I help you?" I heard someone say. I turned to the right of myself and saw a mid 20's looking blond haired sitting behind a tan desk.

"How much for one night; just a standard room?"

"It will be $60.00." She paused. "_Without_ tax."

"Is there any kind of discount or something since it is so late, I just need the room for tonight and then till like 4 tomorrow? I'm kind of in a money problem right now, and if its not cheap enough here, I'll go somewhere else." I remember what my dad had taught me about getting discounts, and it seemed to work.

"Let me go talk to Stacy real quick, I'll be back."

"Ok, thank you." I said graciously as the women walked into the door behind her. I walked over to the nearby fire and warmed up a bit as I thought of who I could call the next day. I couldn't call my close friends because my parents know to search at all of their homes. It would have to, unfortunately, be someone who I am not close to, so it would be harder to find me. _Gosh Kara, who are you going to call?_ Names went in and out of my head, but I realized I had made the mistake of telling my parents who all of my friends were.

"Miss?" I heard a voice behind me.

"Ah, yes." I replied walking back to her.

"Ok, well, I'm not normally supposed to do this, but since the manager is out for the night, and you seem in a bit of a snitch, we're going to give you the room for $50.99." She stopped. "_With_ tax." She smiled.

"Oh thank you so much." I replied, feeling extremely surprised, and rather satisfied with myself. "Is it ok to pay cash?"

"Sure."

"Ok." I answered retrieving my purse and counting out the required money, realizing I only had two hundred more dollars and only so much more in the bank to live off of.

"So, here is your key, you are room 112 on the second floor, have a nice night."

"Thank you again." I handed her a small tip for being so kind and I walked to the elevators, and arrived in room 112 on the 2nd floor, falling fast asleep on the bed in the room, realizing, for the first time in my life,_ I was free_.


End file.
